Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463

www.elsevier.com/locate/enconman

Design optimization of photovoltaic powered

water pumping systems
A.A. Ghoneim *

Applied Sciences Department, College of Technological Studies, Shuwaikh 70654, Kuwait

Received 29 July 2004; received in revised form 22 February 2005; accepted 25 August 2005
Available online 7 October 2005

Abstract

The use of photovoltaics as the power source for pumping water is one of the most promising areas in photovoltaic
applications. With the increased use of water pumping systems, more attention has been paid to their design and optimum
utilization in order to achieve the most reliable and economical operation. This paper presents the results of performance
optimization of a photovoltaic powered water pumping system in the Kuwait climate. The direct coupled photovoltaic
water pumping system studied consists of the PV array, DC motor, centrifugal pump, a storage tank that serves a similar
purpose to battery storage and a maximum power point tracker to improve the efficiency of the system. The pumped water
is desired to satisfy the domestic needs of 300 persons in a remote area in Kuwait. Assuming a figure of 40 l/person/day for
water consumption, a volume of 12 m3 should be pumped daily from a deep well throughout the year.
A computer simulation program is developed to determine the performance of the proposed system in the Kuwait
climate. The simulation program consists of a component model for the PV array with maximum power point tracker
and component models for both the DC motor and the centrifugal pump. The five parameter model is adapted to simulate
the performance of amorphous silicon solar cell modules. The size of the PV array, PV array orientation and the pump–
motor–hydraulic system characteristics are varied to achieve the optimum performance for the proposed system.
The life cycle cost method is implemented to evaluate the economic feasibility of the optimized photovoltaic powered
water pumping system. At the current prices of PV modules, the cost of the proposed photovoltaic powered water pumping
system is found to be less expensive than the cost of the conventional fuel system. In addition, the expected reduction in the
prices of photovoltaic modules in the near future will make photovoltaic powered water pumping systems more feasible.
 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Photovoltaic powered water pumping system; Simulation model; Maximum power point tracker; Performance optimization;
Life cycle cost

*
Tel.: +965 4719291.
E-mail addresses: aghoneim@paaet.edu.kw, ghoneim2000@hotmail.com

0196-8904/$ - see front matter  2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2005.08.015
1450 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463

Nomenclature

C capital cost of system, $

d discount rate, %
H Head, m
i incident angle modifier, –
I PV array current, A
Ia motor armature current, A
k motor flux coefficient, –
LCC life cycle cost, $
M maintenance cost, $
n number of revolutions, s1
N number of years, –
P Power, W
Q volume flow rate, m3/s
R replacement cost, $
Ra armature resistance, X
RLoad load resistance, X
Rs series resistance, X
Rsh shunt resistance, X
S solar life cycle savings, $
V PV array voltage, V
Vm motor voltage, V
e motor electromotive force, V
/ permanent magnet flux, Wb
g pump efficiency, –
h incidence angle, degree
s motor torque, N m
x motor shaft angular velocity, rad/s

1. Introduction

The sun is a clean and renewable energy source, which produces neither green house effect gases nor
hazardous wastes through its utilization. Renewable energy sources are being increasingly implemented in
many applications due to the growing concern of environmental pollution. Kuwait is considered as one of
the world regions that receive a great portion of solar radiation per year. On a clear day, the solar radiation
incident on the earthÕs surface can reach 1000 W/m2 [1]. Photovoltaic (PV) is a technology in which the radiant
energy from the sun is converted to direct current. The photovoltaic process produces power silently and is
completely self-contained, as there are no moving parts. These systems can withstand severe weather condi-
tions including snow and ice. Photovoltaic systems for different applications can be either stand alone or grid
connected. In a stand alone system, the load has no connection to the utility grid and often relies on a set of
batteries to secure an energy supply at night and other times when the solar panels do not produce electricity.
A utility interactive or grid connected system is employed in applications where utility service is already avail-
able. In this case, there is no need for battery storage because the power station can be used to supplement
photovoltaic generation when the load exceeds the available PV output.
The use of photovoltaics as the power source for pumping water is considered as one of the most promising
areas of PV application. Photovoltaic powered water pumping systems require only that there be adequate
sunshine and a source of water. The use of photovoltaic power for water pumping is appropriate, as there
is often a natural relationship between the availability of solar power and the water requirement. The water
 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463 1451

requirement increases during hot weather periods when the solar radiation intensity is high and the output of
the solar array is at its maximum. On the other hand, the water requirement decreases when the weather is
cool and the sunlight is less intense.
Photovoltaic water pumping systems are particularly suitable for water supply in remote areas where no
electricity supply is available. Water can be pumped during the day and stored in tanks, making water avail-
able at night or when it is cloudy. The pumped water can be used in many applications such as domestic use,
water for irrigation and village water supplies. The advantages of using water pumps powered by photovoltaic
systems include low maintenance, ease of installation, reliability and the matching between the powers gener-
ated and the water usage needs. In addition, water tanks can be used instead of batteries in photovoltaic
pumping systems.
Manual water pumping has been the most common method for many years. However, these pumps require
regular maintenance and attendance and can be used only where small volumes of pumped water are required.
Ranges of pumping requirements are expressed in meters to the fourth power per day, calculated by multiply-
ing the head (the distance the water needs to be lifted, measured in meters) and the flow volume (measured in
cubic meters per day). Usually, hand pumps are well suited to needs for small volumes at low or moderate
head, while for large volumes and high head, mechanical pumps are required.
Mechanical pumps powered by engines or electric motors are required to pump large volumes of water
from deep wells, as this cannot be done effectively with hand pumps. There are also many solar powered sys-
tems in the world today, powered by wind generators or photovoltaic arrays. Solar pumps are particularity
useful for intermediate applications like small villages (100–1000 inhabitants) and moderate agricultural
needs. Some circumstances have made PV power the preferred choice, especially where there is an adequate
solar resource and moderate water demand. Many researchers have studied the performance of photovoltaic
powered water pumping systems (PVPS). The results of several experimental studies and theoretical analyses
of PVPS have been published. Appelbaum and Bany [2,3] analyzed a direct coupled PV pumping system under
steady state conditions. The starting characteristics of a DC motor and pump powered by a PV array without
maximum power point tracker (MPPT) have been examined by Singer and Appelbaum [4]. Roger [5] showed
that a DC motor driving a centrifugal pump represents a well-matched load for a PV array because this system
utilizes most of the available DC power generated by the array. Anis et al. [6,7] reported that a load composed
of a DC motor driving a constant volume pump represents a nonmatched load for a PV array because the
motor driving a constant volume pump requires a nearly constant current. Saied [8] studied the matching
of a DC motor to a PV generator to maximize the daily mechanical energy. The performance of a PVPS
has been studied by Bucher [9]. Hsiao et al. [10] and Koner [11] analyzed the performance of PVPSs by varying
the motor constant.
Dunlop [12] conducted an experimental investigation to study the effects of different tracking methods. In
the study of utilizability by Loxson and Durongkaveroj [13], two segments were used to represent the flow rate
versus radiation, leading to large errors between the simulation results and the experimental data. Appelbaum
[14] investigated the starting and steady state performance of different DC motors and water pumps directly
coupled to a PV array, concluding that a separately excited DC motor driving a centrifugal pump provides the
best match to the PV array.
A number of researchers [15–17] have developed a four parameters model compatible with TRNSYS [18] to
simulate the performance of a PV array. They also developed models to study the performance of the motor,
pump and MPPT. However, there is a complicated nonlinear relationship among these models, requiring
numerical skills to deal with the models. In addition, it is always difficult to obtain the motor and pump
parameters required for simulation. Ghoneim et al. [19] developed a five parameters model to simulate the
performance of both silicon and amorphous silicon materials.
The previous discussion reveals that a number of simulation programs [15,20,21] can be found in the liter-
ature to simulate the different PV pumping system components. However, most of the models are based on the
characteristics of each component that are available from the manufacturer data sheets, and at the same time,
they utilize average efficiencies of the components, i.e. these models ignore the variations imposed on the
system by solar source variations. In addition, the available analysis methods are based on a specific pump
and motor for a specific site. So, these methods are difficult to be used in different locations and systems
because it is difficult to get both detailed information on the components of the PVPS and long term weather
1452 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463

information. Another factor is that manufacturers only provide data on the motor–pump combination. Nor-
mally, the parameters of both the motor and pump, as a group, are optimized by manufacturers. So, there is a
need to develop a general method for simulating the long term performance of photovoltaic powered water
pumping systems.
The main objective of the present work is to develop a general method for the evaluation of the long term
performance of a direct coupled photovoltaic powered water pumping system with maximum power point
tracker. In the present work, the variations in system performance resulting from solar source variations have
been taken into consideration to establish a model for the complete system. Also, a computer program is
developed for each component to simulate the performance of the different components of the PV pumping
system. The effects of system parameters variations on system performance have been studied using these mod-
els to determine the optimum system parameters. The simulations are conducted on an hourly basis, with the
power assumed constant over each hour. The new method is only based on the available information of the PV
module, the pump and the motor, all of which are normally supplied by the manufacturer. In addition, the
present computer program permits the extension of the system design to other localities with different
meteorological conditions. The weather data of Kuwait [1] is adopted with the current developed method
to analyze the performance of the PV pumping system.
The capital cost of a PV power system is considered relatively high, which is why these systems are not yet
widely spread. To generalize these systems in a wide area of applications, it is necessary to operate at optimum
conditions to realize the maximum efficiency, so the long term performance of PV pumping systems must be
optimized. However, this optimization is a quite difficult process, as when the PV array supplies sufficient elec-
trical power, the motor produces mechanical torque and the pump draws water. Sufficient radiation must be
available for a PV pumping system to start its pumping operation. This radiation level is called the radiation
threshold. Both the existence of a radiation threshold and the nonlinear dependence on radiation level make
the analysis of a PV pumping system and prediction of its performance a difficult process. So, there is a need to
optimize the system design to make it more feasible. To be feasible, the cost of a PV pumping system must be
less expensive or comparable to the cost of conventional water pumping systems. Life cycle cost analysis is
adopted to study the economic feasibility of the optimized photovoltaic powered water pumping system in
the Kuwait climate.

2. Components modeling of PV water pumping system

Normally, the water pumping system consists of three components: the PV array, the direct current (DC)
motor and the pump. Each component has its own operating characteristics, which are: the I–V characteristics
for the PV array and DC motor and the torque–speed characteristics for the motor and pump. The DC motor
drives the pump whose torque requirements vary with the speed at which it is driven. The DC motor is oper-
ated by the power generated from the PV array whose I–V characteristics depend nonlinearly on the solar
radiation variations and on the current drawn by the DC motor.
The solar cell modules can only provide maximum power at specific voltage and current levels. So, for the
PV array, there is a unique point on its I–V curve at which the power is at its maximum value, and for opti-
mum utilization, the equilibrium operating point of the PV array should coincide with this point. However,
since the maximum power point varies with radiation and temperature, it is difficult to maintain optimum
matching at all radiation levels, except for a specially designed DC motor. In order to improve the perfor-
mance of a PV pumping system, a DC–DC converter known as a maximum power point tracker (MPPT)
is used to match continuously the output characteristics of a PV array to the input characteristics of a DC
motor. The MPPT normally consists of a power electronic circuit controlled by a signal circuit, which drives
the power electronic circuit to force the PV array to operate at its maximum power point. Under such con-
ditions, the MPPT will improve the efficiency of a PVPS [26]. This method is based on a searching algorithm
in which the maximum of the power curve is found. In this case, the PV array always works at its maximum
power point. The subroutine component of the MPPT provided in TRNSYS is implemented to simulate the
performance of the PV pumping system with maximum power point tracker.
A schematic diagram of the PV water pumping system configuration chosen for the present study is pre-
sented in Fig. 1. The main system components are: photovoltaic array to provide electricity, DC motor, pump,
 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463 1453

Solar Radiation

Motor Storage
MPPT Pump
Tank

PV Array
Control
Circuit

Fig. 1. Direct coupled PV pumping system with tracker.

storage tank and maximum power point tracker (MPPT). The PV array is assumed to have a fixed configu-
ration and facing true south to receive the most incident solar radiation. The maximum power point tracker is
adopted to force the PV array to work at maximum power, thus improving the system efficiency. Mathemat-
ical equations describing the system characteristics are formulated and implemented into computer codes to be
used in the simulation process.

2.1. Photovoltaic cell model

The mathematical model describing the performance of the solar modules should accurately predict how
the solar module output would vary with ambient temperature and radiation conditions. Since the solar cell
is a nonlinear power source, the output current and voltage depend on the radiation level and temperature.
Changing the weather condition results in a change in the operating point of the solar cell. There are different
photovoltaic simulation programs developed for modeling the performance of the solar cell. In these models,
the solar cell is treated as an equivalent circuit. Such models require a program to determine simultaneously
the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics as well as the output of a PV module.
The four parameters model is a widely used model for determining the characteristic curves of solar cells.
The four parameters appearing in the I–V equation are the light current, the series resistance, and two theo-
retical diode characteristics. These parameters are not measurable quantities and are not generally included in
manufacturers catalog data. As a result, they must be determined from systems of I–V equations at various
operating points, and these points are taken from the catalog data. The detailed analysis of the four parameter
PV model was introduced by Townsend [15] and incorporated into the transient simulation program [18] by
Eckstein [16].
The four parameters model accurately predicts the performance of single crystal and polycrystalline PV ar-
rays. The four parameter model assumes that the slope of the I–V curve is flat at the short circuit condition.
This means that this model neglects the shunt resistance Rsh because Rsh is very large compared with the series
resistance Rs for the crystalline silicon (C–Si) cell. However, this assumption is not generally valid for amor-
phous photovoltaic cells. So, this model does not accurately predict the I–V characteristics of amorphous sil-
icon (a-Si) PV modules, i.e. the four parameters model does not fit the measurements of the a-Si solar cell very
well. The main deviation is around the maximum power point because the a-Si solar cell does not have as good
fill factor as the C–Si cell does.
In order to explain the low fill factors measured, the shunt resistance, which is lower than that of the C–Si
cell should be taken into consideration. Ghoneim et al. [19] developed a five parameters model compatible
with TRNSYS, which takes the shunt resistance into account. Adding this parameter makes the five parameter
model applicable to both crystalline and amorphous PV solar cells. In the present work, the five parameters
model developed by Ghoneim et al. [19] is implemented to simulate the characteristics of the a-Si solar cell at
different weather conditions. Adding the shunt resistance introduces another unknown value into the model.
Thus, the shunt resistance must be determined from the available manufacturer data. The shunt resistance
1454 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463

RS I

IL
Rshunt R Load
V
ID I sh

Fig. 2. Equivalent circuit for five parameter photovoltaic model.

changes the short circuit slope of the I–V curve. Thus, the measured value of this slope is used to back out a
value for Rsh. The equivalent electrical circuit for the adopted five parameters model is presented in Fig. 2.
The incident radiation on a photovoltaic module is a function of the incidence angle (h). At large incidence
angles, a great portion of the incident radiation is reflected and an incidence angle modifier should be utilized
[22]. The incidence angle modifier (i) is defined as the ratio between the radiation absorbed by the PV array
and the radiation that would be absorbed at normal incidence. In the present study, the correlation for inci-
dence angle modifier proposed by King [23] is implemented:
i ¼ 1  ð1:098  104 Þh  ð6:267  106 Þh2 þ ð6:583  107 Þh3  ð1:4272  108 Þh4 ð1Þ
The previous equations are implemented in a subroutine program compatible with TRNSYS [18] to predict
the characteristic curves for photovoltaic cells at different weather conditions. The weather data generator sub-
routine (TYPE 54) included in the TRNSYS program is also used to generate hourly weather conditions from
the monthly average values of daily radiation on a horizontal surface and ambient temperature available for
Kuwait. The weather data for Kuwait used in this study have been measured and collected for a period over 20
years in the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research [1].

2.2. Motor and pump model

Electric motors, either DC current motors or AC current motors, are currently in common use for driving
PV pump systems. DC motors are used in most PV pumping systems, as they are simple and efficient for small
loads. A direct current (DC) pump is used in the proposed PV pumping system. A DC pump consists of a DC
motor and a pump. The types of DC motors are classified according to the excitation field: separately excited
(permanent magnet), series and shunt motors. The choice of a DC motor for a PV powered system is econom-
ical because PV arrays supply DC power. Also, photovoltaic modules produce direct current, so using DC
motors eliminates the need for power converters.
A separately excited (permanent magnet) DC motor is proposed for this work. The permanent magnet DC
motor has high efficiency, high reliability and minimum maintenance requirements. The circuit diagram for
the permanent magnet DC motor is shown in Fig. 3.
The relation between the motor voltage (Vm), the motor armature current (Ia) and the motor armature
resistance (Ra) at steady state condition is given by:

Ia

Ra

Vm

N S

Fig. 3. Permanent magnet motor circuit diagram.

 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463 1455

V m ¼ e þ I a Ra ð2Þ
The motor electromotive force (e) is expressed as
e ¼ k/x ð3Þ
where / is the permanent magnet flux, x is the motor shaft angular velocity and k is the flux coefficient. The
gross motor torque, s, which is equal to the shaft loss torque plus the load torque is expressed as
s ¼ k/I a ð4Þ
The motor armature current (Ia) at any speed can be evaluated by substituting Eq. (3) into Eq. (2) using the
value of the motor current calculated from Eq. (4). The motor is directly coupled to the PV array, and the
motor pump coupling losses will be neglected. So, the following equations can hold when the photovoltaic
array voltage (V) and current (I) are equal to the motor voltage and current, respectively:
Vm ¼V ð5Þ
Ia ¼ I ð6Þ
Many different varieties of pumps are suitable for operation in conjunction with PV powered pumping sys-
tems. Pumps can be generally divided into two categories, centrifugal (rotodynamic) pumps and volumetric
(positive displacement) pumps, which have completely different characteristics. A centrifugal pump is consid-
ered for the present work. Centrifugal pumps are simple, low cost and are available for a wide range of flow
rates and heads [24]. The available motor and pump software programs use an iterative procedure to deter-
mine the system performance at each time step. The newly developed model does not require these detailed
data; instead it employs only the data available from the manufacturerÕs catalog.
Instead of using a separate model for both the motor and the pump, the newly developed model presents
the characteristics of the pump and the motor with two functions. Pumps are generally described by their total
head (H) as a function of the pump flow rate (Q). Detailed derivation of this function can be found in Eckstein
[16].
The hydraulic load of a PV pumping system varies with the time and pump flow rate. So, in order to ana-
lyze the performance of a PV pumping system, one has to consider the behavior of the well during the system
operation. The model used for the well in the present work considers the dynamics of the water during pump-
ing. A correct simulation of a photovoltaic pumping system should consider the dependence of the well water
level on the water flow rate [25]. The sizing of a PV pumping system depends on the expected hydraulic load.
The head versus flow rate profile usually characterizes the different types of pumps. The typical head, as shown

Fig. 4. Static and total dynamic head.

1456 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463

in Fig. 4, consists of a static component and a dynamic component. The static head is defined as the height or
vertical distance from the water surface to the point of free discharge or the height required to pump the water
(i.e. static head = A + B). When the well is pumped, the water level drops (drawdown), and the water being
pumped through the pipe causes frictional losses. So, the total dynamic head is the sum of the static head, the
drawdown distance and the distance equivalent to the friction losses in the pipe (i.e. total dynamic
head = A + B + C + friction losses). In PV powered water pumping systems, a larger pipe size should be used
than would be used with conventional water systems to maintain friction losses as low as possible.
Eckstein [16] and Al-Ibrahim [17] developed a detailed theoretical analysis to determine the characteristics
of the motor and pump. The model is briefly summarized in the following. In their model, the performance of
the pump can be predicted by using the affinity laws, which relates the pump speed (n) to flow rate (Q), head
(H) and power (P) as
Q ¼ F ðnÞ or Q ¼ Qref ðn=nref Þ ð7Þ
2
H ¼ F ðn2 Þ or H ¼ H ref ðn=nref Þ ð8Þ
3 3
P ¼ F ðn Þ or P ¼ P ref ðn=nref Þ ð9Þ
where nref, Qref, Href and Pref are the corresponding values at a reference condition.
These equations imply that for a given set of speed, flow rate and power, the corresponding values at a dif-
ferent speed can be determined for constant efficiency. This model is implemented in the present study to for-
mulate a computer model to simulate the performance of both the pump and the motor. It is important to
mention that the affinity laws are valid for a moderate change in speed, so an error is expected for large
changes in speed. However, Eckstein [16] stated that at a high speed of 3500 rpm, the maximum error between
the modeled data and the curve provided by the pump manufacturer is found to be less than 2%.
The pump efficiency (g) can be calculated as

g ¼ a þ bQ þ cQ2 þ dQ3 ð10Þ

where a, b, c and d are the coefficients at the reference condition.
The head of a pump is proportional to the square of its speed. Given a head profile at a reference speed, the
performance of the pump can be calculated for any other speed. In the previous models, the performance of
the PV pumping system is predicted by the simultaneous solution of the characteristic equations of the PV
array, the motor and the pump. In the present study, the characteristics of the pump and the motor are rep-
resented by two functions. The first one relates the voltage (V), current (I) and head (H) through the relation:
V ¼ a0 þ a 1 I þ a 2 I 2 þ a 3 H þ a 4 H 2 ð11Þ
The coefficients of the function (a0, a1, a2, a3 and a4) are constants. Eq. (11) is used to determine the I–V char-
acteristics of the PV pumping system. The I–V curve of the PV array at a certain weather condition and the
I–V–H curve of the motor–pump are solved simultaneously. The second function relates the pump flow (Q) to
voltage (V) and head (H) and can be expressed as
Q ¼ b0 þ b 1 I þ b 2 H ð12Þ
The coefficients of the function (b0, b1 and b2) are constants. The coefficients of Eqs. (11) and (12) can be found
from the data sheet provided by the manufacturer of the solar pump. So, Eq. (12) relates the pump flow rate to
radiation level since the I–V curve of a PV array depends on the radiation level and temperature. The oper-
ating point obtained from the PV model and Eq. (11) is substituted in Eq. (12) to find the pump flow rate of
the PV pumping system at a certain head (H). The previous equations have been formulated to develop a
motor–pump subroutine program compatible with TRNSYS to perform the present analysis. The newly
developed pump–motor model employs the data from manufacturersÕ product catalogs.

3. Economic study

In order to generalize a PV pumping system in a wide area of applications, their cost must be less expensive
or comparable to the costs of the mechanical pumping alternatives, such as Diesel, wind or other electric
 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463 1457

systems. Life cycle cost (LCC) analysis, presented by Brandumahel [27], is considered the most widely used
method for evaluating the cost of a desired system. Life cycle cost analysis gives the total cost of the PV pow-
ered water pumping system including all expenses incurred over the life of the system, and it is helpful for com-
paring the costs of different system designs. A PV pumping system will operate for a period of time before it
needs replacement. For example, the PV panels may be replaced after 20–30 years, whereas the pump may be
replaced after 5–10 years. The life cycle costs of a PV pumping system are the initial cost of the complete sys-
tem in the event of installation plus the annual operation, repair and maintenance expenses.
The life cycle cost analysis consists of finding the present worth of any expenses expected to occur over the
life cycle of the system. The effects of different system components with different reliabilities and lifetimes can
be studied using LCC analysis. In LCC analysis, the present worth value (PW) of all the capital and recurring
costs for the PV powered pumping system is calculated. For example, the present worth (Apw) of a future sum
of money (A) in a given year (N) at a given discount rate (d) is given by
Apw ¼ A=ð1 þ dÞN ð13Þ
For example, with a 10% discount rate, this means that a $100 cost today may be considered equivalent to a
$110 cost incurred 1 year from today, or a $121 cost incurred 2 years from today.
In LCC analysis, the present worth (PW) of all the capital and recurring costs for the PV powered pump
system is calculated. The life cycle cost of a system can be calculated using the following equation:
LCC ¼ C þ M pw þ Rpw ð14Þ
The capital cost, C, of a system includes the initial capital expenses for equipments, the system design and
the system installation. This cost is always considered as a single payment occurring in the initial year of the
system installation. Maintenance (M) is the sum of all yearly scheduled operation and maintenance costs.
Replacement cost (R) is the sum of all repair and equipment replacement costs anticipated over the life of
the system, and normally, the replacement costs occur only in specific years. Several factors should be consid-
ered when the period for an LCC analysis is chosen. For example, PV modules are usually assumed to operate
for 20 years or more without failure, so 20 years is the normal period chosen to evaluate the economic feasi-
bility of PV systems. However, the pump and motor may not last 20 years, so replacement costs for this case
must be considered in the calculation if a comparison is to be made with alternative water pumping systems.

4. Results and discussion

The proposed PV pumping system is supposed to satisfy the water demand of 300 inhabitants in a remote
area in Kuwait. This will require 12 m3of water to be pumped daily, assuming a figure of 40 l/person/day.
Kuwait has approximately 6 sun h/day of radiation (1 sun h equals 1 kW h/m2 on a clear summer day at solar
noon). This means that the peak flow rate of the pump will not exceed the value of 0.6 l/s. The weather data of
Kuwait has been implemented to conduct this analysis. This weather data has been measured and collected for
a period over 20 years in the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research [1]. The weather data generator subrou-
tine (TYPE 54) included in the TRNSYS program is also used to generate hourly weather conditions from the
monthly average values of daily radiation on a horizontal surface and the ambient temperature available for
Kuwait. The five parameters model [19] is adopted to determine the energy output of the PV modules.
Validation of the developed motor–pump model is performed at different head and operating voltages by
comparing the simulation results and the measurement data sheet of the solar pump provided by Grundfos
Company. Fig. 5 shows a comparison between the characteristics of the pump resulting from the present mo-
tor–pump model and the corresponding measured data supplied by the Grundfos solar water pump manufac-
turer for the pump type SQFlex at different pump powers. The comparison reveals the reliability of the
developed motor–pump model. As seen from Fig. 5, the two predictions agree well and the root mean square
(RMS) difference between the two predictions is only about 2.5%.
To show how well the present model reproduces the system output, the simulated water flow rate of the
pump depicted over time for the day 16th September, 2002 is compared to the corresponding one resulted
from the PVCAD program [28]. The PVCAD program is used by SolarJack Company to simulate the perfor-
mance of PV pumping systems. As shown from Fig. 6, the pumped water resulting from the present developed
1458 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463

140

120 P=100 W
P=200 W
P=400 W
P=900 W
100 ------- Data Sheet
Simulated

Head (m)
80

60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30
Flow (m3/day)

Fig. 5. Comparison between solar water pump characteristics obtained using the present motor–pump model and the manufacturerÕs
measured data.

1.5
1.4 Present Model
1.3 PVCAD

1.2
1.1
1
0.9
Q (m3/h)

0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Time (h)

Fig. 6. Water flow rate for the day 16th September 2002 predicted using the present model and the PVCAD program.

model agrees well with the pumped water produced using the PVCAD program. The deviations in the two
programs at the beginning and at the end of the pumping period can be attributed to the sensitivity of the
simulation models for small flow rates as well as the uncertainty in the calculation of the PV modules output.
The calculated relative difference between the two models for the accumulated water volume during the whole
day is only about 4.5%.
To evaluate the life cycle cost (LCC) of the PV water pumping system, the period of analysis is assumed to
be 20 years at a discount rate of 10% with an annual increase in fuel cost of 5%. There are four major elements
 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463 1459

in the capital costs of a PV powered water system: PV array modules, water pump and motor, water storage
tank and distribution system and installation costs for the PV systems. Since the storage tank and distribution
system would be the same for all power sources for the water pumping systems, it will be ignored in the present
analysis.
The type of PV module is Simens M55, and the current PV module average price is approximately $5 per
Wp as provided by the module manufacturer. A submersible centrifugal solar powered pump is proposed for
this study. The cost of a submersible centrifugal pump, including all electrical and mechanical hardware and
labor work required, is about $2500. The installation costs for PV systems, due to their requirement for array
foundations, additional shipping cost, labor to assemble the structures etc., are assumed to be about 10% of
the PV array cost. The operations and maintenance costs of a PV pumping system are difficult to estimate
accurately, so a figure of about $50 per year is assumed. The pump and motor subsystem is usually replaced
after about 8 years.
To evaluate the economic feasibility of the PV pumping system, its life cycle cost is compared to the life
cycle cost of an alternative Diesel pumping system. Diesel engines suitable for pumping systems are usually
2.5 kW (3.35 HP) or larger [29]. This means that for pumping systems requiring lower power, the Diesel engine
will be underutilized. As a result, the Diesel engine capital costs are higher than needed based on the power
requirements; however, this is partially offset by lower fuel and maintenance costs since the Diesel engine will
be able to pump the required water in a shorter period of time.
It is usually advised that a Diesel pump should not run for more than 8 h/day for practical reasons. The
installed cost per kilowatt for typical Diesel pumping systems is about $2000 per kW. So, the installed capital
cost of the 2.5 kW Diesel pumping system (the minimum practical size) would cost about $5000. The lifetime
of the engine and pump for rural installations is assumed to be 8 years. So, an average life of 8 years is
assumed, after which time the complete system must be replaced. Maintenance costs for a Diesel pumping sys-
tem in the size range chosen for this study can be estimated as a proportion of the capital cost [29]. For Diesel,
an average typical yearly maintenance costs would be 10% of the capital cost (i.e. $400 per year). Delivered
fuel costs in Kuwait near an urban area costs about $0.30 per liter. The estimated average cost of fuel over
the period of analysis should be used for the calculation, taking into account any expected real price inflation
of fuel, which is about 5%. In addition, we will assume $400 per year for operation and maintenance costs.
For the same amount of pumped water as in the PV case, the present worth value for the Diesel system case
can be directly compared to that for an equivalent PV powered pumping system. It should be kept in mind
that the results of the comparison between PV and Diesel pumping systems would be influenced by changes
in any of the key assumptions used. For example, increases in fuel price sharply increase the cost of pumping
with Diesel, relative to PV. On the other hand, the use of a higher discount rate improves the cost of the Diesel
system because most of the cost of the PV system occurs in the first year and is not sensitive to the discount
rate factor.
An important aspect that must be considered in the search for an optimum system design is the sensitivity
of the system efficiency to the change in water head. Simulations using a standard solar day of 8 h sunshine are
performed to study the effect of total head changes on the efficiency of the subsystems (inverter, motor, pump).
As shown in Fig. 7, the subsystem efficiency approaches its maximum value corresponding to a total head of
approximately 15 m. For higher heads, the subsystem efficiency decreases significantly due to the increase of
the power threshold of the system.
The economic feasibility will be assessed based on the calculation of the solar system life cycle savings value
(S). The solar system life cycle savings will be defined here as the difference between the LCC of the PV pow-
ered water pumping system and the LCC of the corresponding Diesel pumping system. In the present work,
the solar array rated power is varied to get the optimum PV rated power that maximizes the solar system sav-
ings (S).
The variation of solar life cycle savings (S) with PV modules power for a total dynamic head of 15 m is
presented in Fig. 8. As the PV power increases, the solar system savings increases until it reaches a maximum
at the optimum modules power, which is approximately about 210 W (i.e. four Simens M55 modules in series).
As the modules power is further increased, the excessive system costs force the solar savings to decrease as
shown in Fig. 8. One can depict from the figure that PV pumping systems are still economically feasible with
the current prices of the solar modules and the oil. The previous results let one conclude that well-designed PV
1460 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463

24

22

Subsystem Efficiency (-)

20

18

16

14

12

10

8
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Total Dynamic Head (m)

Fig. 7. Variation of subsystem efficiency with total dynamic head.

3500

3000

2500

2000

1500
S ($)

1000

500

-500

-1000

-1500
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
PV Array Power (W)

Fig. 8. Variation of solar life cycle savings with PV array power.

pumping systems are feasible in Kuwait even at the current expensive prices of PV modules. Moreover, these
systems will be more economic in the near future due to the anticipated reduction in the prices of photovoltaic
modules.
To study the effect of the PV configuration on system performance, the PV array tilt angle is varied from 0
to ±40 in steps of 10. The monthly variation in cubic meters of pumped water for different array tilt angle is
illustrated in Fig. 9. The calculations are performed for the proposed PV pumping systems in Kuwait using a
total dynamic head of 15 m and a PV array rated power of 210 W. It is obvious from the figure that the per-
formance of the PV pumping system is not so sensitive to the PV array tilt angle up to a tilt angle that equals
 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463 1461

450

400

Pumped Water (m3) 350

300 Latitude ± 10o

Latitude
Latitude ± 20o

250
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Month

Fig. 9. Monthly variation of pumped water with the PV array tilt angle.

the latitude ±20, however the maximum pumped water can be attained for an array tilt angle equal to
latitude ±10.
The previous results reveal that the optimum PV pumping system parameters are: a well depth of total
dynamic head of 15 m, a PV array size of 210 W facing true south and a PV array tilt angle of latitude
±10. In Fig. 10, the monthly water output values resulting from the present simulation program using these
optimum parameters are compared to the assumed monthly water demand for the year 2002. As shown from
the figure, the pumped water output satisfies the water demand throughout the year.
The performance ratio is usually used as a figure of merit for assessment of the system performance. For PV
pumping systems, it is defined as the net energy used by the pump to overcome the system head divided by the
energy that the PV modules would generate under standard test conditions (1000 W/m2 and 25 C). An annual
performance ratio of 0.224 is obtained for the optimum PV pumping configuration studied. This value is com-
parable to the value of 0.21 reported by Baba [30] for a similar system configuration.

Fig. 10. Comparison between the monthly simulated water output and the monthly water demand for the year 2002.
1462 A.A. Ghoneim / Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 1449–1463

As mentioned before, the present developed motor–pump model is validated at different heads and oper-
ating voltages by comparing the simulation results and the measurement data sheet of the solar pump pro-
vided by Grundfos Company. The two predictions are found to agree well. In addition, the simulated
subsystem efficiency (inverter, motor, pump) and the simulated total system efficiency are reasonably compa-
rable to the experimental data published in the literature [31–33].

5. Conclusions

A computer simulation program is adopted to assess the performance of PV pumping systems in the
Kuwait climate. The program consists of component subroutines for each system component. This program
takes into account the effect of solar source variations on the system performance. A new motor–pump model
is developed to determine the characteristics of the pump and the motor. Comparing the present simulation
results with the corresponding results using available software programs and the manufacturerÕs data sheet
validated the developed model.
Based on the simulation results reported in the present study, the following conclusions can be drawn:

• The newly developed motor–pump model can be used reliably in designing and calculating the long term
performance of a PV water pumping system over any monthly and annual period.
• The developed motor–pump model leads to an improved way to design and simulate a PV pumping system
based on the available data from the manufacturerÕs catalog. Also, the model is proven to be accurate after
it was compared with the manufacturerÕs PVCAD program.
• The water head plays an important role in evaluating the economic feasibility of photovoltaic powered
water pumping systems, while tilt angle variations have no remarkable effect on system performance up
to a tilt angle equal to latitude ±20.
• An optimum system parameter search can greatly enhance the performance of a PV pumping system to
achieve the required water demand for living in a remote area.
• A well-designed directly coupled PV pumping systems is feasible in the Kuwait climate even at the current
expensive prices of PV modules.
• The economic feasibility is based on certain assumptions, and the results of the comparison between PV
pumping systems and conventional pumping systems will be influenced by changes in any of the key
assumptions used, like period of analysis and reliability of the equipment for that period.
• Costs of PV equipments and water pumps are expected to decrease more and more over the next few years
as the demand for PV systems goes up worldwide. These factors will make PV pumping systems more eco-
nomic in the near future.
• The results of the present work should encourage governments for wide installation of solar energy systems
to keep our environment healthy and clean.

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